Dissolving city on May ballotSupporting police department bone of contentionBy Pearl Cantrell
Monitor Staff WriterPAYNE SPRINGS–The Payne Springs City Council agreed to
put two nonbinding resolutions on the ballot in May to gauge the desires
of the voters during its last meeting of 2007.
One resolution asks whether the police department should be dissolved,
while the other asks whether or not the city should cease to operate as
an incorporated municipality.
Councilman Carl Powell warned that people shouldn’t vote to dissolve the
city just because they are upset with the council.
Councilman Odell Terrell, in the previous meeting and recorded in the
minutes, said he’d go with what the citizens wanted. Terrell was absent
from Tuesday’s meeting.
However, the council is not bound to act according to the outcome, Mayor
Michael McDonald explained.
It just gives the city’s nearly 400 voters a chance to express their
opinion, he said.
Councilman Tom Hinkle made the motion, saying this vote will answer the
unscientific online survey being taken by The Cedar Creek Pilot.
“I don’t believe 500 people in the city of Payne Springs wants to see
the city dissolved,” Hinkle said, referring to the survey results. “This
will answer that.”
“There aren’t even 500 registered voters in the city,” McDonald said.
Much discussion from the audience and between the council ensued, with
the vast majority favoring a police department and the hiring of a
second officer.
Currently, the city has just one officer, Shane Renberg, who is acting
as chief.
Though included in the budget, the council voted against hiring a second
officer.
“I think we should hire one now, and see what the people vote on in
May,” Hinkle said in his motion to hire. Though Powell seconded the
motion, he and council man Lynn Sorrell voted against the action.
Fred Carr, who’s had extensive experience in law enforcement, reminded
the council that every time Renberg makes a traffic stop, he is putting
his life on the line. “He needs backup,” Carr said.
Reserve officer James East performed 40 hours of service during the last
two weeks – all for free.
Reserve officers are required to do 16 hours a month in order to
maintain their licenses.
“Without his help, I don’t know what I would have done,” Renberg said.
The police reported 211 traffic stops, 68 citations and 27 calls to
assist the county. Sixteen were arrested for driving while intoxicated,
seven for drug possession and 13 felony warrants were served.
Sixteen vehicles were impounded due to no insurance or registration, or
invalid driver’s licenses.
Three accidents were also reported.
“We have speeding up and down Southwood Shores,” Linda Carr commented.
“The men digging the sewer take their lives in their hands,” she added.
“The last council, I saw every night police in Southwood Shores – now,
none,” resident Juan Monroy said. “We love our families and friends.
Let’s take care of them.”
Payne Springs has gone through two police chiefs in five months and is
now on the third, McDonald said.
It reflects the council’s diminished support for a police department, he
added.
“Does anyone remember the number of bad accidents we used to have?”
former councilman Rodney Renberg asked.
“That’s changed because of the police. Put the prejudices aside. We need
a police department. We need each other,” he said.
John Lashwa was vocal throughout the meeting in support of the police.
“We have some good ones now, and we need to keep them,” Lashwa said.
“There are five officers per shift in the county and no way they can be
everywhere,” former councilman Michael Juica said.
After repeatedly being challenged to explain their opposition to hiring
an additional officer or giving pay raises to the police chief, Powell
said the city would have to bring back the ad valorum tax if it wanted
to maintain a police department.
“It could probably continue for a couple of years, but eventually it’s
going to take that (the property tax) to support it,” he said.
McDonald disagreed, and said the 2008 budget includes wages for three
officers.
However, before chief Tim Meadows left five months ago, the need for a
new patrol car was brought before the council.
Annual pay raises for the city secretary and Renberg also failed, with
Powell and Sorrell opposed.
The budget, approved at the end of October, allows for a 50-cent per
hour raise for the secretary, who works 32 hours a pay period and a $1
an hour pay raise for the police chief.
Renberg earns $12.10 an hour, McDonald said.
Powell asked about considering a $26,000 salary for Renberg.
“That’s not on the agenda,” McDonald said. “It can be put on the next
agenda, but that’s not the issue today.”
McDonald explained that a salary assumes working 40 hours a week. Should
Renberg work more than 40, he still has to be compensated with overtime
pay, he said.
Powell suggested a percentage raise.
“Again, that is something we can discuss at the next meeting or during
budget talks,” McDonald said.
“Can we just give these poor employees a raise?” McDonald pleaded to no
avail.
The council did agree to update the city’s animal control ordinance by
redefining the term vicious dog from “one with vicious propensities” to
a dog “engaging in vicious conduct.”
The wording change does not change the ordinance, which makes it a C
Class misdemeanor to have a dog that bites or attacks a human being or
other domestic animal on public or private property without provocation.
In other business, council members:
• named The Monitor its newspaper of record.
• received a report on the Southwood Shores self-help sewer project (see
related story at right).

KHS
among low-performing schools one last yearMath scores improvedBy Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
KEMP–Tenth grade high school students at Kemp Independent School
District have a lot to be proud of.
More than 50 percent of them passed their Texas Academic Skills (TAKS)
test in the 2007-08 school year, taking the campus off the PEG (Public
Education Grant) list for future school years.
Math was the only exam students scored low in at the 2007 Recognized
district and the Academically Acceptable high school.
Students came under the bar in school years 2004-05 and 2005-06.
“The two years preceding last year placed us on the PEG list,” academic
administrator Debra Airheart said.
The two years on the PEG list include 2007-08 and 2008-09. Those are the
years parents will be allowed to transfer their student, she explained.
Once placed on the list, the school must send out letters to parents
advising them of the right to transfer their offspring.
“I wrote the letter last year and sent it out to the parents,” Airheart
said, adding there will be another letter sent this coming year.
Teachers at KHS have been working diligently to see that sophomore
students pass all the necessary tests to keep the campus off the PEG
list, she said.
The campus has been among 831 low-performing schools.
Larger school districts, such as Houston (89), Dallas (74) and Fort
Worth (32), have the highest number of low-performing campuses.
“We do have some new materials. We have a tutorial set aside for
students before first period that doesn’t interfere with their other
classes,” Airheart explained.
There is also an accelerated program to help them pass the TAKS, she
added.
“If the math scores improve – as they did last year – we should be off
the list by the 2009 school year,” Airheart said
“We have new materials, including the new textbooks adopted by the
state, plus the A&M Consolidated Math curriculum,” she said.

ECCWFSD
to help Southwood ShoresBy Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
GUN BARREL CITY–The new grinder units for Cedar Branch Park and
Southwood Shores are a source of concern for East Cedar Creek Fresh
Water Supply District.
Cedar Branch Park is progressing on schedule, having installed 54 units
in the subdivision, Athens engineer Chris Weeks reported.
But only 11 units have been installed in Southwood Shores, Weeks said.
(Thursday, Walter Hellebrand said the latest count was 17.)
District directors agreed to allow employees to assist the Southwood
Shores addition with its grinder pump installations.
In other business, directors:
• approved a transfer of $1,071,933.25 from the bond interest and
sinking certificate of deposit (CD) into operation reserves to pay the
regular bond debt payment.
• approved the outlay request expenditures for the Brookshire Clarifier
project.
• approved an extended military leave of absence for an employee.
• named A.M. Construction as the successful bidder for the water main
relocation project at the U.S. Highway 175 and State Highway 334
interchange at a cost of $29,958.
• abandoned the easement for property adjacent to SH 334, approximately
800 feet west of Southside Bank.
• approved the purchase and installation of chlorination equipment at
the Brookshire Water Treatment Plant.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) requires a back-up
chlorination unit, which costs $7,413, Weeks explained.
• approved material purchase and tapped Pumps of Houston to install
three variable drive units at the McKay Water Treatment Plant.
• approved material purchase and awarded Boothe Electric the contract to
install a recycle pump assembly at the North Waste Water Treatment
Plant.
• postponed action on an agreement with the West Cedar Creek Municipal
Utility District to purchase bulk water and discharge domesticate waste
to and from the islands as referenced in the agreement..
Directors said they needed more time to review the document.